I'm familiar with common shadowing etiquette. Be on time, dress/act professioanlly, take notes, ask questions etc. What I want to know is if ya'll have any odd/interesting tips that would help make my shadowing experience better. Things you did to make yourself stand-out from all the other people shadowing, how to make it more enjoyable...that kind of stuff.
Unqiue Shadowing Advice
- Thread starter fireheart
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Where I shadowed, we were technically also volunteers at the hospital so when things were slow or the PT wasn't doing anything that we could observe (hours of paperwork or email responses), we'd help the PT tech.
Not all of the volunteers were particularly helpful, especially if the PTs weren't around. I always tried to help whenever I could since it was just the one tech assisting with five PTs and an OT and she got overwhelmed sometimes. After I finished shadowing, the PTs who wrote me letters told me that they noticed which students helped the tech and which didn't. Some of us received LORs and some did not.
TLDR; be a nice person, PTs notice and the staff appreciates it
Not all of the volunteers were particularly helpful, especially if the PTs weren't around. I always tried to help whenever I could since it was just the one tech assisting with five PTs and an OT and she got overwhelmed sometimes. After I finished shadowing, the PTs who wrote me letters told me that they noticed which students helped the tech and which didn't. Some of us received LORs and some did not.
TLDR; be a nice person, PTs notice and the staff appreciates it
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In pretty much all of the settings I shadowed in, I did some sort of cleaning/folding laundry. In inpatient settings, I followed behind the patient with their wheelchair or got their bedside table out of the way, simple stuff like that to be as active as possible without interfering with treatment at all. I also talked to some patients too, so there usually wasn't a time where I was bored and sitting in a corner waiting for the session to be over.
If you find yourself with nothing to do, just ask the tech's or the pt's. If you ask enough times you'll always have something to do (it's what I did haha).
If you find yourself with nothing to do, just ask the tech's or the pt's. If you ask enough times you'll always have something to do (it's what I did haha).
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My addition to the great advice on here already: Don't be shy about asking questions! One of the PTs I became closest with told me straight up between kids (he worked in an elementary school) to not be worried about overstepping my bounds and ask any questions I have. I was worried about what I could and couldn't ask a far as appropriateness goes, but he really encouraged me to ask anything I was wondering. There is a time and a place for certain questions; if it might not be appropriate to ask certain things in front of the patient, wait until between sessions. But never be afraid to ask! It shows that you are engaged, and that is how you learn!
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What I did when I was volunteering, I'd ask the PTs questions about their methods after they were done with the patients. I showed my genuine interest and it paid off. The PTs I was shadowing at the inpatient facility taught me a great deal about treatments and evidence-based practice methods they were using. My shadowing experience was very unique as well, in which I felt more like a PT aide than a volunteer. I worked alongside the PTs and PT students helping administer different exercise treatments with patients, assisting with transfers, and sitting in on initial evals. The PTs would get their patient's consent, in order to divulge their medical history to me so that I may understand the patient's current status and treatment being administered. This unique experience I received tremendously helped solidify my passion for the profession.
So all in all, ask questions and be genuinely interested. It is the only way to get the most out of your shadowing experience.
So all in all, ask questions and be genuinely interested. It is the only way to get the most out of your shadowing experience.
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Don't be a corner observer. Not only did I do all the PT Aide work within the capacity of a volunteer, I engaged the PT's and asked questions. I also asked if I can directly observe treatments up close and be introduced to patients to gain patient history permission per HIPAA.
All it took was one request and conversation about my observation goals with the PTs for them to begin engaging me with patients. If you're just standing there in the far corner, like the many volunteers I see do now, you're not going to gain anything.
All it took was one request and conversation about my observation goals with the PTs for them to begin engaging me with patients. If you're just standing there in the far corner, like the many volunteers I see do now, you're not going to gain anything.
I had some excellent shadowing experiences and a couple of rather lousy ones. One thing I learned quick: if you get a bad vibe, pull the plug. Pick up the phone, makes some calls, and go somewhere else. If your objectives are to learn and ideally to obtain a quality letter of rec, recognize early when personalities don't mesh or the environment doesn't suit your needs and bounce. People like and dislike one another for a million different reasons, few of which really matter in the end. Just give 'em a professional "thanks for the opportunity", throw the hours on PTCAS, and move on to the next. Your time is valuable, so don't waste it on a poor experience.
As for making yourself stand out...how do you make yourself stand out now? Be yourself. Use your people skills. And be mindful that it's someone else's workplace, not an endless game of 20 questions.
As for making yourself stand out...how do you make yourself stand out now? Be yourself. Use your people skills. And be mindful that it's someone else's workplace, not an endless game of 20 questions.
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Be you. Ask questions, be curious! Talk to the patients get to know them. I always enjoyed getting to know patients, it helps you learn to relate to patients on a personal level and make them feel comfortable. I was always told that I made patients feel at ease and that talking to them helped them get their mind off of any discomfort or pain they were feeling. Offer to get things that therapist may need. If the patients and PT are okay with it ask the PT to give you a brief history on the patient - this give you an idea of how their injury came about. Hope this helps
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Make it more enjoyable? Just be proactive. Don't just stand around waiting to be called upon, at least in inpatient settings. PTs will appreciate the help and remember your name. I was at my setting for 2-3 weeks and PTs were calling me left and right while the volunteers who were there before I started were just waiting to get flagged down in the corner. Don't get me wrong. My fellow volunteers were awesome but sometimes they just wanted to talk about their weekends in the corner and ain't nobody got time for that (okay, that's not true. there were some heavy down times some days)
